Broker

How to spell broker

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce broker

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does broker mean?

1. nounA person who arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller in return for a fee or commission.
2. verbTo arrange or negotiate an agreement or settlement between parties.

Broker in a sentence

• noun

  The insurance broker compared three policies before recommending one.

• verb

  The two firms asked a lawyer to broker a fair settlement.

• noun

  She hired a mortgage broker to find a better interest rate.

• verb

  Diplomats worked late to broker a ceasefire between the sides.

Where does broker come from?

Language of origin: French

Broker entered English in the 1300s from Anglo-Norman French brocour, a word for a retail dealer or middleman, especially a seller of wine. The most widely accepted explanation links it to the Old French verb brochier, meaning 'to broach' or 'to tap a cask', so the earliest broker was literally someone who opened a barrel to sell wine by the measure. From that humble trade the sense broadened to any agent who arranges deals between a buyer and a seller for a fee, which is why we still speak of a stockbroker, an insurance broker, or a mortgage broker today. The verb sense, meaning to negotiate or arrange an agreement, grew naturally out of the noun and became common much later. The spelling keeps the older -er agent ending rather than -or, which is the small trap for writers who expect the more Latin-looking 'brokor'.

How the word is built

• brok- (from Anglo-Norman brocour: a retailer or middleman, originally one who broaches a cask)
• -er (agent noun suffix)